Ramming in naval warfare in 19th century?

**visser300** · January 30, 2012, 04:37 AM

I checked beta FoTS forum and figure out that ramming has a significant role in naval strategy (especially ironclad class).

May someone spend their time to explain to me how could this "ramming" thing actually work in industrial naval warfare? With latest technologies and bigger cannons, were there any chances that those kind of ships could crash their ships into enemy ships?

**panzerschreck** · January 30, 2012, 06:06 AM

It was indeed a tactic with ironclads, it's accurate, in the american civil war naval battles for example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramming

**Robin de Bodemloze** · January 30, 2012, 06:19 AM

Not exactly naval warfare, but hey it's ramming

**IGdood** · January 30, 2012, 08:02 AM

Engines to full, we're made of steel and they're made of wood. Kaboom.

**Altimis** · January 30, 2012, 09:17 AM

Originally Posted by IGdood

Engines to full, we're made of steel and they're made of wood. Kaboom.

LMAO! That's make sense... best explanation ever!

**MajorStoffer** · January 30, 2012, 10:55 AM

It actually has a lot to do with Ironclads fighting Ironclads. An ironclad with explosive ammunition can do horrible, horrible things to wooden ships without ramming, but in this time period (and it's a short period of time, only done successfully, if I recall, in two wars) the technology behind armour plating was ahead of the ability to penetrate it.

Ironclads and monitors were damn near indestructible from ranged fire, so the idea was if one can not easily sink an armoured ship with cannon fire, one can ram it. A small number of vessels were actually designed with that single purpose in mind. By the 1880s, however, munitions technology had advanced to make that concept obsolete. Protected cruisers and pre-dreadnoughts became the norm, and ramming became a passing fancy.

Basically, it's historically correct, but it wasn't extensively used.

**Santeri** · January 30, 2012, 02:21 PM

Because of this thread sea battles and how I used to ram smaller ships with aircraft carrier in Battlefield 1942 came to my mind

But ramming sounds good improvement or at least I hope that my huge ships won't just magically stop when bow ships get their way

**l33tl4m3r** · January 30, 2012, 02:21 PM

Moved to the Historical Research Center from the General Discussion forum.

PM me with any questions.

**eighthgear** · February 26, 2012, 04:53 PM

The Battle of Lissa in 1866, between Austria and Italy, featured many ramming attempts from both sides of the battle, some being quite successful. This was provoked due to the fact that early ironclads often did not have guns capable of defeating other ironclads. Ramming is a legitimate tactic with ironclads. Also, if they ever get around to making Rome 2, ramming will be very important since it was the primary method in which the warships of classical antiquity fought (along with boarding).